Table of Contents

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Social Bases of West German Politics, 1953 (ICPSR 7104)

Principal Investigator(s):UNESCO Institut fur Sozialwissenschaften

Summary:

This study, conducted in West Germany prior to the federal
election in September 1953, covered four main areas: politics, the
respondents' occupational background, family relations, and social
relations. Respondents were asked about their intended vote in 1953
and their past vote in 1949. Additional questions explored
the extent of the respondents' political information and political
interest, and how often and with whom they discussed politics. The
occupational background section of the interview probed whether
respondents had achiev... (more info)

This study, conducted in West Germany prior to the federal
election in September 1953, covered four main areas: politics, the
respondents' occupational background, family relations, and social
relations. Respondents were asked about their intended vote in 1953
and their past vote in 1949. Additional questions explored
the extent of the respondents' political information and political
interest, and how often and with whom they discussed politics. The
occupational background section of the interview probed whether
respondents had achieved their occupational goals in life. Employed
respondents were queried about their occupational histories and job
satisfaction, while unemployed respondents were asked about their
interest in entering the labor force. Another portion of the study
inquired about the respondents' relationships with their families.
Variables assessed whether the respondents lived with relatives or
shared financial support. The interview also asked about discussions
between husbands and wives, and whether they shared opinions. The
fourth major area covered by the study ascertained how frequently and
with whom the respondents had long talks, discussed personal problems,
or wrote letters. This section also surveyed the respondents'
membership and activity in voluntary associations and church-related
initiatives. The personal data section of the interview covered the
education, income, marital status, sex, age, and religious preference
of each respondent. Additional items provide information about the
respondents' geographic mobility and place of residence.

Access Notes

Study Description

Citation

UNESCO Institut fur Sozialwissenschaften. Social Bases of West German Politics, 1953. ICPSR07104-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2006-08-15. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR07104.v2

Universe:
Citizens 18-79 years of age in the Federal Republic of
Germany, registered in the community central registry of inhabitants
("Einwohnermeldekartei"). Persons living in private households and
group quarters were included in the sample, as well as institutional
populations.

Data Types:
survey data

Methodology

Sample:
A stratified, multistage, random sampling procedure was
utilized in this study. The sample was drawn in three stages: first,
the sampling points were designated, then households were chosen
within each sampling point, and finally, individuals were selected
within each household.

Weight:
The study contains a weight variable (V3) that produces a
representative sample of citizens of the Federal Republic 18-79 years
of age when used in analysis. The weight variable corrects for sex and
age biases in the sample, and was constructed by comparing the age by
sex distribution of the sample with the census distribution. The
weighted N for this sample is 3,256.8.

Data Source:

personal interviews

Version(s)

Original ICPSR Release:1984-06-19

Version History:

2006-08-15 This study has been updated from OSIRIS
and now includes SAS, SPSS, and Stata setup files, a SAS transport
(XPORT) file, a SPSS portable file, and a Stata system file.